Five Tathāgatas
In Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, the Five Tathāgatas (Skt: पञ्चतथागत, pañcatathāgata; (Ch: 五方佛, Wǔfāngfó) or Five Wisdom Tathāgatas (Ch: 五智如来, Wǔzhì Rúlái), are five main Buddhas which are often venerated together, along with their consorts and retinues, which are collectively known as the Five Buddha Families (Skt. pañcabuddhakula). The five are also called the Five Great Buddhas, and the Five Jinas (Skt. "conqueror" or "victor").
The Five Buddha Families are a common subject of Vajrayana and Tibetan Buddhist mandalas and they feature prominently in various Buddhist Tantras as the father and mother Buddhas. Various sources provide different names for these male and female Buddhas, though the most common today for the males are: Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, Vairocana, Amitābha, and Amoghasiddhi.[1][2] They are sometimes seen as emanations and representations of the five qualities of the Adi-Buddha or "first Buddha", which is associated with the Dharmakāya.[1] Some sources also include this "first Buddha" as a sixth Buddha along with the five.[1]
The Five Tathagathas is the primary object of realization and meditation in Shingon Buddhism, a school of Vajrayana Buddhism founded in Japan by Kūkai. In Chinese Buddhism, veneration of the five Buddhas has dispersed from Chinese Esoteric Buddhism into other Chinese Buddhist traditions like Chan and Tiantai. They are regularly enshrined in many Chinese Buddhist temples and regularly invoked in rituals, such as the Liberation Rite of Water and Land and the Yoga Flaming Mouth ceremony (瑜伽焰口法會), as well as prayers and chants.[3][4]
They are also sometimes called the "dhyani-buddhas", a term first recorded in English by Brian Houghton Hodgson, a British Resident in Nepal,[5] in the early 19th century, and is unattested in any surviving traditional primary sources.[6]
History
[edit]The Five Wisdom Buddha families are a development of the mature Buddhist Tantras. The now standard five Buddhas first appear in the Sarvatathāgatatattvasaṃgraha sutra (Compendium of Principles, c. late 7th century) and Vajrasekhara Sutra.[1][7]
However, the tradition of various Buddhas corresponding to the main cardinal directions is not new to the Buddhist tantras. The idea appears in Mahayana sutras like the Sutra of Golden Light (c. 5th century) and the Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra.[7] The Golden Light for example, has a mandala with Shakyamuni in the center, surrounded by Ratnaketu (south), Amitayus (west), Dundubhisvara (north) and Aksobhya (east) Buddhas.[7] This set already includes three of the main five Buddha family Buddhas found in the tantras.
Furthermore, examples of four Buddhas arranged in the four cardinal directions are found in Indian Buddhist stupas like Sanchi stupa, Udayagiri stupa, Jajpur stupa (Pushpagiri) and Dekhinath stupa (Gyaraspur). The Udayagiri stupa for example, houses Vairocana, Amitabha, Aksobhya and Ratnasambhava in the four cardinal directions of the stupa.[7]
According to Kimiaki Tanaka, this basic four cardinal directions Buddha model, combined with Vairocana Buddha from the Avatamsaka sutra, developed into the later tantric five Buddha families (which changed the other two Buddhas' names to Amoghasiddhi and Ratnasambhava).[7]
Before the set of the Compendium of Principles became the most popular, there were numerous slightly different schemas with different Buddha names. The Vairocanābhisaṃbodhi Sūtra for example contains a slightly different set of Buddhas, with Samkusumitarajendra, and Ratnaketu in place of Amoghasiddhi and Ratnasambhava.[7] Similarly, the Amoghapāśakalparāja (Sovereign Ritual of Amoghapāśa) has a similar schema as the Compendium, except that Shakyamuni is at the center, not Vairocana, and furthermore Amoghasiddhi is replaced by Lokendraraja Buddha.[7]
Later Buddhist tantras adopted the basic five Buddha family schema. The Māyājālatantra for example, adopts it wholesale. Other tantras would often modify the basic schema to suit their needs. For example, the Guhyasamaja literature places Aksobhya Buddha (or, depending on the tradition, Mañjuvajra, the tantric Mañjusri Buddha) at the center of the mandala instead of Vairocana.
The Mother Tantras (i.e. Yoginitantras), like the Cakrasaṃvara Tantra, adopt the basic idea of the five family mandalas, but are more different than the Father tantras in their structure and make use of different deities, including many more female ḍākinī deities. The Cakrasaṃvara for example, contains six main Buddhas with their own corresponding mandalas: Heruka, Vairocana, Vajrasūrya, Padmanarteśvara, Paramāśva, and Vajrasattva.[8] The Hevajratantra's mandala is even more ḍākinī centric, with a mandala focused on Hevajra surrounded by eight ḍākinīs, with no obvious connection to the standard five Buddha family schema. However, some later tantric commentators to the Hevajra tantra (like Abhayakaragupta) do indeed map these Hevajra deities to the five families. This shows that the five family schema remained an important one even in the later period of Buddhist tantra as the Yoginitantras were moving away from the standard schemas of the Yoga tantras.[9]
Elements of the Five Families
[edit]In the tantric Buddhist literature, each of the five Buddhas have extensive qualities and features, including different directions, colors, mudrā, symbol, aspects, klesha, element; consort and spiritual son, as well as different animal vehicles (elephant, lion, peacock, harpies or garuda, or dragon).[10] Vairocana, the central Buddha, generally embodies sovereignty.[10]
Vairocana is generally seen as embodying sovereignty and is seen as the lord of the mandala in most depictions (and thus is at the central place of the mandala). Akshobhya, the second Buddha embodies steadfastness and faces east. He is seated in the Vajraparyanka (also known as Bhūmisparśa) pose, with the right hand on the right knee, palm turned inwardly, and middle finger touching the ground.[10][11][12] Amitābha (Japanese: Amida), embodies measureless light and faces west. A statue of Amitābha, when seated, has a samadhi mudrā with both palms face up, on top of each other, in his lap.[10][13][14] When these Buddhas are represented in mandalas, they may not always have the same colour or be related to the same directions. In particular, Akshobhya and Vairocana may be switched (as in the Guhyasamaja system, which has Aksobhya in the center).[15]
When represented in a Vairocana mandala, the Buddhas are arranged as follows:
Amoghasiddhi (North) | ||
Amitābha (West) | Vairocana (Center) | Akshobhya (East) |
Ratnasambhava (South) |
Main aspects of the five families
[edit]There is an expansive number of associations with each element of the five Buddhas mandala, so that the mandala becomes a cipher and mnemonic visual thinking instrument and concept map; a vehicle for understanding and decoding the whole of the Dharma.
In numerous Vajrayana sources, like in each Buddha Family (Sanskrit: kula) or Division has numerous symbols, secondary figures (like bodhisattvas, protectors, etc.), powers, and aspects.[16]
Some of the main esoteric associations of each family include:[17]
Family (Kula) | Buddha | Colour and Element | Aggretate | Klesha | Mudra | Throne | Bījasyllable | Wisdom (jñana) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Buddha Family | Vairocana | White, Consciousness | Consciousness | Ignorance (ávidyā) | Teaching Mudra | Lion throne | Om | Perfectly Pure Dharma sphere Jñana |
Vajra Family | Akṣobhya | Blue, Water | Form (rupa) | Aversion | Earth-touching Mudra | Elephant throne | Hum | Mirror-like Jñana |
Ratna (Jewel) Family | Ratnasambhava | Yellow, Earth | Feeling (vedana) | Envy | Giving Mudra | Horse throne | Tram | Sameness Jñana |
Padma (Lotus) Family | Amitābha | Red, Fire | Perception (saṃjñā) | Craving | Meditation Mudra | Peacock throne | Hrih | Discriminating Jñana |
Karma Family | Amoghasiddhi | Green, Air | Volition (samkhara) | Pride | Fearlessness Mudra | Garuda throne | Ah | Perfect practice Jñana |
Five female Buddhas and their families
[edit]Each Buddha family also is paired with a female Buddha (often called a prajña, a vidya or dakini). Each family also presides over their own buddhafield. Although all five families have pure lands, it appears that only Sukhavati of Amitābha, and to a much lesser extent Abhirati of Akshobhya (where great masters like Vimalakirti and Milarepa are said to dwell) were popularly venerated, though some temples include all five Buddhas in their mandalas and statuary.
The five Tathāgathas are protected by five Wisdom Kings (Vidyārāja ), and in China and Japan are frequently depicted together in the Mandala of the Two Realms. In the Śūraṅgama mantra revealed in the Śūraṅgama sutra, an especially influential dharani in the Chinese Chan tradition, the five Tathāgathas are mentioned as the hosts of the five divisions which controls the vast armies of the five directions.[18]
In the most common Indian tantric five family schema (that first found in the Yoga tantras), the five prajña consorts or five mothers (Tib. ཡུམ་ལྔ་, Wyl. yum lnga), bodhisattvas and pure lands of the Five Tathagatas are:[17][19][15][20]
Buddha (Skt) | Wisdom Consort (prajña) | Bodhisattva | Vidyārāja protector [21] | Pure land and direction |
---|---|---|---|---|
Vairocana | Ākāśadhātvīśvarī, also known as Vajradhātvisharī, Buddhaḍākinī or Sparśavajrī | Vajraparamita or Vajrasattva | Acala | Akaniṣṭha-Ghanavyūha (Center) |
Akṣobhya | Locanā, also known as Buddhalocanā, Tathāgatalocanā | Vajrapani or Samantabhadra | Trailokyavijaya | Abhirati (East) |
Amitābha | Paṇḍāravāsinī, also known as Sitavāsinī | Avalokiteśvara | Yamāntaka | Sukhāvatī (West) |
Ratnasaṃbhava | Māmakī | Mañjusri, Ratnapani | Kuṇḍali | Śrīmat (South) |
Amoghasiddhi | Tara, Samayatārā | Maitreya, or Viśvapāni | Vajrayakṣa | Karmaprasiddhi[22] or Prakuṭā (North) |
However, other tantras and commentaries provide alternative families and listings of Buddha - consort pairings. In some systems, like Guhyasamaja, Akṣobhya appears at the center of the mandala, with Sparśavajrī as consort.[15] Furthermore, sometimes Tara may appear as associated with Amitabha.
Each female Buddha also has their own mantra, for example Pāṇḍaravāsinī's mantra in the Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa (ch 37) is:[23]
Oṁ kaṭe vikaṭe nikaṭe kaṭaṅkaṭe kaṭavikaṭakaṭaṅkaṭe svāhā
Meanwhile, Buddhalocanā's mantra in the Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa (found in chapter 37) is:[23]
oṁ ru ru sphuru jvala tiṣṭha siddhalocane sarvārthasādhani svāhā
According to the Guhyasamājatantra, each Buddha family is also assigned a specific mantra:[16]
- Vairocana - Buddha family mantra: jinajik
- Akṣobhya - Vajra family mantra: vajradhr̥k
- Ratnasaṁbhava - Ratna family mantra: ratnadhr̥k
- Amitābha - Lotus family mantrs: ārolik
- Amoghasiddhi - Karma family mantra: prajñādhr̥k
The "Sixth" Buddha, the dharma-body
[edit]The Five Buddhas may also be seen as aspects of the dharmakaya "dharma-body", which embodies the principle of enlightenment in Buddhism. The Vajrasekhara sutra also mentions a sixth Buddha, Vajradhara, "a Buddha (or principle) seen as the source, in some sense, of the five Buddhas."[1] This idea later developed into the tantric idea of the Adi-Buddha, which generally came to be seen as the ground of all the five Buddhas, as the dharmakaya itself, the ultimate reality which manifests as the five Buddha families. Different esoteric Buddhist traditions understand and name this ultimate Buddha source in various ways. In Nyingma, it is known as Samantabhadra and in Shingon, it is Mahavairocana. Japanese Pure Land Buddhists meanwhile, understand all Buddhas as manifestations of Amitābha.[24]
Gallery
[edit]-
Ancient painting of Pancha Maha Thathagatas, Amoghasiddhi (green), Akshobhya (blue), Amitabha (red), Vairocana (white), Ratnasambhava (yellow) (date 1100–1200) in Nepal.
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Five Thathagatas painting (Date 1400-1500), Ratnasambhava, Akshobhya, Vairocana, Amitabha, Amoghasiddhi / Himalayan art resources foundation in Nepal
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Five Tathagatas in Shinshoin Temple (Shibamata, Katsushika, Tokyo) . From the right side, Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, Vairocana, Amitābha, and Amoghasiddhi
-
Painting of the Five Buddhas, circa the 6th year under Injo of Joseon Dynasty (1628), Korea
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Gilt copper crown with five buddhas, Tibet, 1644-1911 CE.
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Ritual Diadem with the Five Jina Buddhas, Northern Nepal or Tibet, 19th century
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Five Buddhas, Nepal, 16th century
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Statues of the Five Tathagathas, Tri Ratna Buddhist Centre, Pekanbaru, Sumatra
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Williams, Wynne, Tribe (2000). Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition, p 210. Routledge.
- ^ Jigme Lingpa, "Yumka Dechen Gyalmo", 18th c.
- ^ "香光莊嚴". www.gaya.org.tw. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
- ^ Hong, Tsai-Hsia (2007). The Water-Land Dharma Function Platform Ritual and the Great Compassion Repentance Ritual (Thesis). OCLC 64281400. ProQuest 304764751.
- ^ Bogle (1999) pp. xxxiv-xxxv
- ^ Saunders, E Dale, "A Note on Śakti and Dhyānibuddha," History of Religions 1 (1962): pp. 300-06.
- ^ a b c d e f g Tanaka, Kimiaki (2019-05-07). The origin of Japanese two world mandala | SOAS University of London. Retrieved 2024-09-25 – via YouTube.
- ^ Tanaka, Kimiaki. An Illustrated History of the Mandala: From Its Genesis to the Kalacakratantra, chapter 6 (6.2), Simon and Schuster (2018).
- ^ Tanaka, Kimiaki. An Illustrated History of the Mandala: From Its Genesis to the Kalacakratantra, chapter 6 (6.9), Simon and Schuster (2018).
- ^ a b c d Sakya, p. 35, 76.
- ^ "The Lotus Sutra focus on Śākyamuni also fits the main Buddha figure in Zen, rather than the Buddhas Amida or Vairocana venerated in the contemporary Pure Land and Esoteric (and Kegon) movements." in Taigen Dan Leighton (2007). "Dōgen's Interpretations of This Lotus Sutra Story". Dōgen's Appropriation of Lotus Sutra Ground and Space. Oxford Academic. pp. 67–94. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195320930.003.0004. ISBN 978-0-19-532093-0.
- ^ "One of the two wives of Songtsen Gampo, she brought a large image of either Shakyamuni or Akshobhya Buddha (they are visually indistinguishable)..." in "Glossary (Balza, Balmoza)" (PDF). The Huntington Archive, Ohio State University. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 9, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
- ^ Sakya, p. 30.
- ^ Similarities with Amitabha in "Who's Who of Buddhism". Vipassana Foundation. Archived from the original on January 11, 2009. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ a b c John C. Huntington, Dina Bangdel. The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art, p. 226, 444. Serindia Publications, Inc., 2003
- ^ a b Nicolas Revire, Rajat Sanyal, Rolf Giebel. Avalokiteśvara of the "Three and a Half Syllables": A Note on the Heart-Mantra Ārolik in India. Arts Asiatiques, 2021, Arts Asiatiques, 76, pp.5-30. ⟨10.3406/arasi.2021.2095⟩. ⟨halshs-04142356⟩
- ^ a b Williams et al. Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition, p. 211. Routledge, Jan 4, 2002
- ^ The Śūraṅgama sūtra: a new translation. Ukiah, Calif: Buddhist Text Translation Society. 2009. ISBN 978-0-88139-962-2. OCLC 300721049.[page needed]
- ^ Kimiaki Tanaka. An Illustrated History of the Mandala From Its Genesis to the Kalacakratantra, Simon and Schuster (2018)
- ^ Journey Without Goal: The Tantric Wisdom of the Buddha, The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa, Volume Four (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2003), Ch. 9 'The Five Buddha Families'.
- ^ "五大尊". Flying Deity Tobifudō (Ryukō-zan Shōbō-in Official Website). Retrieved 2021-10-01.
- ^ Longchenpa (2014). "XIII". The Great Chariot. p. Part 3e.2a.
- ^ a b "The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī / 84000 Reading Room". 84000 Translating The Words of The Buddha. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
- ^ Getty, Alice (1914). The gods of northern Buddhism: their history, iconography and progressive evolution through the northern Buddhist countries. Oxford Clarendon Press via Internet Archive. p. 3.
Bibliography
[edit]- Bogle, George; Markham, Clements Robert; and Manning, Thomas (1999) Narratives of the Mission of George Bogle to Tibet and of the Journey of Thomas Manning to Lhasa ISBN 81-206-1366-X
- Bucknell, Roderick & Stuart-Fox, Martin (1986). The Twilight Language: Explorations in Buddhist Meditation and Symbolism. Curzon Press: London. ISBN 0-312-82540-4
- Sakya, Jnan Bahadur (compiler) (2002) [1995]. Short Description of Gods, Goddesses and Ritual Objects of Buddhism and Hinduism in Nepal (10th [reprint] ed.). Handicraft Association of Nepal. ISBN 99933-37-33-1.
External links
[edit]- Five Dhyani Buddhas - chart of the Five Buddhas and their associations.
- StudyBuddhism.com - The Five Buddha-Families and Five Dhyani Buddhas
- Five Dhyani Buddhas Mandala - Thangka painting of the Five Buddhas.
- Symbolism of the five Dhyani Buddhas
- Video demonstration the mantra chanting and mudras used during the Chinese Yogacara Flaming Mouth ceremony (瑜伽焰口法會) to invoke the Five Tathagathas in the ritual space.
- Praise to the Five Buddhas (Chinese: 禮讚五方佛; Pinyin: Lǐzàn Wǔfāngfó), part of the liturgy chanted in certain Chinese monastaries.
- Color Symbolism In Buddhist Art
- Mark Schumacher: Godai Nyorai (Japanese) - Five Buddha of Wisdom Five Buddha of Meditation Five Jina | Five Tathagatas
- The Five Buddha Families - From Journey Without Goal: The Tantric Wisdom of the Buddha by Chögyam Trungpa, Shambhala.org (archived 2007)
- 5 Dhyani Buddhas - 5 Dhyani Buddhas detailed with table